Method for producing, waves and curls



March 26,1946. L. B. ANDREW 2,3 7,3 7

METHOD FOR PRODUCING WAVES AND CURLS Filed Aug. 17, 1944 INVENTOR.

A TTVOAIVEX Patented Mar. 26, 1946 METHOD. FOR. PRO UCING. WAVES AND RLS.

Lucy Brett Andrew, Forest. Hills, N. Y.

pp ication Aus st e ialNo.5 19 23 3' Glaims.

This invention relates to a. method designed to;

increase the attractiveness of womens, hair, by

causing it towaveand also to curl, and, thusfto reflect light in greater degree than when not so treated.

Certain rare textures of human hair have nat-.

ural highlights occasioned b superior ability to reflect light; but the usual textures of natural hair scatterlight. The object of this invention is to enable women whose hair is not of themore desirable textures, nevertheless so to Wave and curl their hair that it tends to reflect, rather than to scatter light.

A further object of the invention is to form even during war-time scarcities, one sufliciently low in cost to be discarded after one use. Still another object of the invention is to provide a method of so using such wave-curlers that strands of hair will be set and remain so for some time, in an attractive, lustrous, light-reflecting condition.

It is, moreover, an object of the invention to curl strands of hair only toward their outer ends, that is, beyond the portion of such strands closer to the scalp which are not curled but are, rather, waved.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Priorities and war-time scarcities of metallic and other materials ordinarily used for making hair curlers have, at the present time, depleted their supply. I find, however, that the pinna, i. e. the leaflets f the pinated date-palm leaf, when they are segregated from the main petiole or stalk, make excellent hair curlers, but only so long as they retain their normally pliable condition before drying. When the pinna dry they become brittle.

I have found, however, that the pinna of the date-palm and similar leaves can be rendered permanently pliable by suitable chemical treatment. To this end I immerse the leaves, after they have been dried, in water until they are softened somewhat, and then transfer them to a solution of formaldehyde and glycerine in water. The leaves should remain in this solution until their pliability has been substantially restored,

even after removalf-rom the solutionand subsequent drying, hQ-z .rmaldehyde preserves the leaves from decay and; the glycerine makes them permanentlyv pliable. Soaking in, the solution for severalweeks may be required, to attain these resulta- Referring to the drawing Figure 1 illustrates a leaf of the date-palm.

FiguresZ; to 5'illustratethe successive steps in prqducing cornbined waves and; curls with a pinna oi he a f: m dam-P m- Eigurel illustrates-,2, leaf; of the date-palm with a large number of individual pinna l0 projecting from the central stalk H. I preferably separate these pinna from the palm leaf stalk before subjecting them to the treatment to preserve their pliability. Date-palms require pruning around the base of the tree trunk to remove the offshoots consisting of leaves like those shown in Figure 1. These pruned off-shoots are waste material and are available in large quantities in date-palm groves. It is these pruned off-shoot leaves which I preferably use for the purposes of this invention.

The pinna, after the said chemical treatment, are ready for use as wave-curlers for human hair. They are suitable for use either with straight, permanently waved or naturally curly hair. The best results are obtained by using the curlers with strands of,hair not longer than six inches. It is better also to dampen the hair before using the curler.

The method of using the wave-curler is as follows: First brush the hair well and then part it into strands. Next hold a strand of hair at the end so that it projects straight from the scalp. The pinna wave-curlers are then bent near the central point so as to form a looped or hair-pin shaped curler as illustrated in Figure 2. The strand of hair is then either clamped between the two free ends or prongs, or is wound around the outside of the two prongs, in either case preferably about one and a half inches from the bight and as illustrated in Figure 3.

The strand of hair is then rolled around the curler, until it is close to the scalp, revolving the curler either under the strand, or over it as shown in Figure 4. To secure the wave-curler in place, insert the two free ends through the bight of the loop to form a species of slip-knot; then, holding the rolled hair firmly close to the scalp in the one hand, push the opened bight over the rolled hair with the other hand, thereupon pull one or both free ends or prongs taut so that the loop will tighten about the roll to form a slip-knot over the hair as shown in Figure 5. It will be found that one free end'of the curler will pull much easier than the other; that is the one which should be pulled taut first.

The wave-curlersshould be allowed to remain in the hair in this position from' one hour to overnight. A net placed over the curlers will keep them more securely in'place. When it is desired to remove the curlers from the hair, push the freefends up to loosen the slip-knot, withdraw the prongs from the bight of the loop and then pull out the curler.

A wave is formed close to the scalp by thus tightening the loop over and around the knot of hair; and the outer ends of the strand of hair the ends'thereof, inserting the ends of the loop through the bight to form a slip-knot, inserting the roll of hair within the bight, pulling one of the ends taut to tighten the knot and to secure the roll close to the scalp, and subsequentl loosening the knot and removing the said leaf from the hair. 7

2. A method for producing combined waves and I curls, and thereby highlights, inhuman hair,

are curled by the rolling of the hair around the wave-curler. I thus attain the objects of this invention and in such manner. as to produce a deep wave close to the scalp, reflecting highlights around the face.

It will be understood that while I have described the method of using wave-curlers derived from the date-palm leaf, nevertheless similar pinna 7 leaves, or strips of any other palm or like veg'eta ble material, can be used for the purpose and method described without departure from my invention.

I claim:

1. A method for producing combined waves and curls and thereby highlights in human hair, comprising rolling a strand of hair around a looped pinna of a date-palm leaf between the bight and comprising rolling a strand of hair around a looped pinna of a date-palm leaf between the bight and the ends thereof, inserting the ends of the loop through the'bight to form a slip-knot, inserting the roll of hair within the bight, pulling the ends of the loop taut to tighten the knot and to secure the roll close to the scalp, and subsequently loosening the knot and removing the said the roll of hair within the bight, pulling taut first V the more freely movable end and thenthe other end of the loop to tighten the knot and to secure the roll close to the scalp, and subsequently loosening the knot and removing the said leaf from the hair. a

' LUCY BRETT ANDREW. 

